Stationary engines like Lister and Petter.

Stationary engines like Lister and Petter; has anyone any experience about these things? I’ve got a bit of an itch that needs to be scratched and I can see them coming up on FB Marketplace. My justification is that I need one to pump water up to the top of the garden but really I just think that it would be fun to have one going ‘putt pop putt bang putt putt bang putt putt’ in the background, getting hot and smelling of diesel/ petrol whatever whilst I sit and take it easy.

If I was to buy one, what should I look out for?

Cheers in advance :-)

They’re pretty agricultural, that’s half their selling point. Not much to go wrong and if it does it’ll probably still run.

Good for breaking wrists if you’re not careful, at least our lifeboat ones were ……

You could take it steam rallies and the like, get it running and sit in your deckchair with the other enthusiasts.

Don’t crouch too close to the starting handle , I remember seeing someone giving their head a wee dunt with their hasty rushed attempt at starting a mixer

They start so easy with the de compression lever

I need one to pump water up to the top of the garden

Can you not connect a hose to a tap and save burning fossil fuels and destroying the planet? Or, use an electric pump that will be less harmful to the planet?

Can you not connect a hose to a tap and save burning fossil fuels and destroying the planet? Or, use an electric pump that will be less harmful to the planet?

I think a bit of balance is needed here. These old machines exist, they may as well be used… I can’t imagine he’s trying to shift that much water.

I’m not sure the argument of using potable water instead with a hose is greener.

Never worked on Petter engines but like mentioned above Lister engines are in every lifeboat I’ve worked on. They rarely go wrong but on the other hand aren’t used that much  apart from running them every so often for maintenance. See if you can find one with an electric or spring start because cranking these buggers by hand can result in a very sore chin if you don’t catch it properly and it kicks back

These old machines exist, they may as well be used

Sure, if you like burning fossil fuel for the fun of it.

I can’t imagine he’s trying to shift that much water.

I’m not sure the argument of using potable water instead with a hose is greener.

It’s a hell of a lot greener than burning fossil fuel in a small engine to pump the water. A cycle powered pump would be about the greenest possible, assuming it’s a relatively small volume of water.

The drilling rigs we used at the company I used to work for had Petter engines. They broke a few arms, are pretty loud and they absolutely stink. They never broke, though.

I’ve got a Lister D to tinker with, pretty much the Ford Focus of the stationary engine world.

You need to decide if you want a fixer upper or a runner. Recalling that the fun comes from their simplicity and the ability for you to fix easily. Buying a good one just to run might get boring after a while unless you have invested time getting it running.

Having it mounted on a wheeled trolley is pretty much compulsory. They weigh a lot. It sounds like you should be searching for an engine plus pump mounted as a unit on a trolley.

As these engines are old they have often been re-bored. That can only be done so often, not just because of thickness of the bore walls, but also because of the maximum oversize available pistons and rings. Worth asking the vendor.

Make sure the oil used is SAE30 or similar, modern oils that are designed to keep foreign particles in suspension (until they get to the oil filter) don’t work in a splash lubrication system with no filter. Particles need to settle out.

I suggest something with an open crank for maximum injury potential.

I’ve been called many things in my life but never a ‘stationary engine’…I’ve been trying to do more exercise recently; honest!

Re: burning of fossil fuels. Yup, I am a monster. I own and use quite a few petrol garden tools inc. lawnmower, leaf blower, chainsaw, brush cutter and hedge trimmer. In total I use about 20 to 25 litres of fuel annually. I have a wood burner too. I’m probably going to burn in hell.

Re: useful advice given, thank you :-)

Had a 1960 lister SR1 in my boat. Absolutely bombproof! I did break my scaphoid once On it tho, resulting in 3 months off work

Typical STW

Thols2 – it’s a small engine. He’s not running an A380 for shits and giggles.

Lighten TFU.

thols2

Sure, if you like burning fossil fuel for the fun of it.

Really?

thols2

Norris and McLaren must be utterly thrilled with that result. Would love to be a fly on the wall in the Red Bull debrief. Actually, maybe on the ceiling, not on the wall, there’ll probably be a couple of Verstappens punching holes in the walls  right now.

Call the mods, there’s been a murder.